Last year, Jones was very good. Cashman is a GENIUS!
Early this year, Jones was very good. Cashman is a GENIUS!
Lastly, Jones has been terrible. Cashman is an IDIOT!

With any player, we all (and Cashman) have certain expectations.
Sometimes a player surpasses them.
Sometimes a player underperforms.
This is not on Cashmans head.

I mean, next year, if Cashman trades Pearce for Strasberg straight up, and Strasberg has a shitty year, is it a shitty trade? Is Cashman an idiot????

A GM has 0% responsibilty for how a player performs relative to realistic expectations.
A Manager has 10% responsibilty for how a player performs relative to realistic expectations.

Ultimately, the players are the guys who decide the outcome of any given year. And this is filled with a confluence of random luck.

]]>By: monkeypantshttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288759
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:43:11 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288759[19] Tough question, mainly because if I ran the club—one that has been remarkably unsuccessful in two cities for a long time—I would abandon his innings limit given what the team is potentially poised to do. So my first answer is, eliminate the innings limit and pitch him all the way through.

But if I decided to keep some semblance of an innings limit, I would (a) fudge the limit (go over by 10 or 20 innings) and stretch his appearances during the regular season. It looks like they’ve been careful with him already: he’s averaging about 5.2 INN/start and he’s not thrown many pitches (skimming his game logs). At this pace he would start another maybe 6 games—that’s 30 or 35 innings, for a total of 180-185 going into the PS.

Maybe skip a couple of his starts. , try to keep him at 170 or so for the regular season.

]]>By: Jon DeRosahttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288758
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:29:15 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288758[18] Assume that there is a hard innings limit for whatever reason. Would you stretch out his appearances so he can start in the Postseason, even if it meant getting caught by the Braves and playing a Wild Card Game? What’s better, having your ace, or winning the division? (of course they could stretch him out and win the division too, but it’s close enough where it’s risky)
]]>By: monkeypantshttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288757
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:03:18 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288757[16] I tell you, if I ran the Nationals, there is no way I would not pitch Strasburg during the PS.
]]>By: RIYankhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288756
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:59:14 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288756Down go the Orioles.
]]>By: RIYankhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288755
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:54:55 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288755[15] Maybe the Nationals are a cut above? I’ve hardly seen them at all, and of course they’ll be without their ace. Or the Reds. But none of the AL teams has separated themselves. Weird season.
]]>By: Jon DeRosahttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288754
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:47:30 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288754The Postseason is going to be a crappier-shoot than usual this year. The 10 teams that make it are going to be pretty evenly matched.
]]>By: RIYankhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288753
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:59:57 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288753Ah, well, not as close as when I started typing. But that’s a win-win (or lose-lose) game as far as the Yankees are concerned: we want to have the best record in the AL, so we get to play the WC winner…
]]>By: RIYankhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288752
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:58:41 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288752I was irrationally confident during the game too, Jon.

The Orioles are getting their bird brains beat in.
Rays are winning a close one.

]]>By: Jon DeRosahttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288751
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:36:51 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288751[1] They bounce back, but it’s more a AAA type thing, up and down from the Show to the minors until they’re out of options.

I never thought they were going to lose that game. Right up until Jones misplayed the flyball in the ninth.

As bad as they are playing, if they are back to health (IE Pettitte, Teixeira and Arod at all close to full strength) by October, they probably are as good as anybody.

]]>By: jjmerlockhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288750
Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:02:15 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288750[5] That’s exactly what I was saying in the game thread.

I want it to go away, but I’m still stewing. It is inexcusable to lose that game.

3 blown freaking leads in 3 games (CC blew TWO) to the Blue Jays and a series loss? The Blue Jays were 25-40 on the road coming into this series. Fucking pathetic showing by the Yankees today.

Easily could be at home for the PS.

Cash made some excellent moves, but it is unfathomable to me that he couldn’t have found better alternatives than a number of the guys being run out there all too often.

“The Yankees made three errors against the Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon. The four unearned runs allowed resulted in the 8-5 Blue Jays win.

Errors are not a great way to measure defense. It better to think in terms of high probability outs that don’t get converted. Sometimes they go for hits if a fielder was out of position or has poor range. Sometime they go for errors in the fielder simply makes a mistake. The Yankees have not played well defensively this year according to FanGraphs, losing 3.6 runs per 150 balls in play. That poor defense, on balls that were high probability of outs, cost them the game today.”

Ugh.

]]>By: Bruce Markusenhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288745
Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:34:12 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288745Oh by the way, Shelley Duncan has been designated for assignment by the Indians. I’d pick him up and send Andruw Jones on his way. At least Duncan acts likes he gives a darn.
]]>By: Bruce Markusenhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288744
Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:31:16 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288744Simply an awful loss today. How do you allow eight runs to essentially a quadruple-A lineup? Sabathia gives up the lead twice. Yet another game when they can’t hit with runners in scoring position, 3 for 17. And three errors in the field.

Does anyone on this team ever get angry?

Joe Girardi needs to do a Billy Martin impression and give them a good, verbal clubhouse thrashing.

]]>By: rbjhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288743
Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:12:35 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288743[2] Yankees will be in first on Sept. 1. Orioles win tonight, they are 2.5 back. Only O’s play tomorrow, so that’s a possible 2 back. Then Friday could result in 1 game behind. Rosters expand Saturday. Getting to be razor thin, but still a lead.
]]>By: The Hawkhttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288742
Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:11:24 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288742So true about it being less troubling when you’re there. It’s like “Oh look the other team hit a two run homer … Ah well”
]]>By: Bobtacohttp://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2012/08/29/beating-traffic/#comment-288741
Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:58:08 +0000http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=90856#comment-288741This team seems to play up or down to their opponent, you can only hope they will dust themselves off and play better against the Orioles.

Otherwise, they continue the downward slide since mid-July and give up first place and possibly the post-season altogether.

Neither would shock me.

The injury threshold may have already been crossed. The bullpen has been burnt out. If they can get into September in first place with the roster expanding, maybe they can limp to the finish line. However, unless Granderson and Cano get back to producing at peak levels, this team is not going far.